The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-08-31
New YoRps LopoINa HOUSES

% II 81
People who Patronize Them and Get
Accommodations AT TrihIng Expehss.
Not long ago a reporter, curious to test
the truth of the old adage that s.one-lialf
the world knows not how the other half
lives, made a tour Of The cheap lodging
houses. which almost cemp pletelys line
Chatham street from the Brooklyn bridge
to East Houston street As a rule the
cheapest class Of .theseleaging Houses are
patrunized by tranps who, during the
day, have begged nickel or dime OF
some beneSolehtly Inclined person. and
!, by ipveterete dfunkartis who, having no
home TO 60 to, have pledged whatever
article the asvsabrokers would accept.
{ In tins class of lodging house the usual
charge IS five cents. Having paid the
msn in charge of the packing case like
office onehis entitled to s.bedJ This
s.bed is the bare floor Of an Outrage
ously ventilated room, usually about
twenty feet square, and no covering Is
provided. In this room are nightly hud-
died together anywhere frem twenty-five
to fifty men. The close atmosphere OF
. the room, together with the breath of the
isleepers, renders the mir sickening IN the
I extreme No atteTl1pt 3 made n eleaEli=
! ness, and further, man suffering with
any contagious disease Is as readily ne
ceived as one in perfect health. Only n
few months ago man suffering with
smallpox was spotted IN one of these
| holes by the police, and after much delay
removed to hospital The entrance to
the lodging house is invariably through
narrow doorway off the street, and up q
staircase, lighted only by small oil
lamp. Everywhere about the place ver-
min can be found. Rats and mice fairly
oyerrun the place. It is the custom 70
turn out all dodgers at 6 a. NJ. for the
avewed purpose of ventilsting the place,
but ventilation Is impossible unless the
vile building be torn down.
The ten and fifteen cent houses are a
little better than the five centers,'' but
not much. For ten cents one can get
cot bed ia small room with several
others. Sometimes mattress and sheet
are provided the lodger, but cftener he
gets no covering whatever. For fifteen
cents the lodger gets ''privabe ROOM
which is one of many. Il Is made by
dividing good sized room, by means OF
wooden partitions, into a number of
smaller rooms. In some of them one
! finds chair as well as the cot. A weak
effort at cleanliness is made here. In q
fairly large room near by soap, water
and towels are furnished, and al are ex-
| E-SpSSA " k4N&44A L4tSE1ASS1SGS OF EbelE use
In this class of lodging houses tho patrons
are awakened at a. M, when a general
cleaning up takes place and everything is
put In readiness for the next nights
dodgers. The next priced houses cost
dodgers twenty-five or thirty-five cents a
night, according to the accommodations.
These houses are all that reasonable
person IN reduced circumstances can ex-
pect.
For twenty-five cents one is frequently
given single room, bat at some plnces
the lodger is quartered with two or three
other men, but in a separate bed. At
tached to some OF this class Of houses ere
sitting rooms, where far In the early
morning hours groups of men sit about
| talking or reading. Some houses fur
nish th0ir patrons with bath. The best
class of cheap lodging houses charge fifty
cents per night. These are patronizsd
chiefly by poor mechanics and laboring
mon. Everything is done to make their
patrons comfortable. TIE daily papers
are kept on file, and games of chess and
checkers arc permitted in the reading
room. The entrances are large and wide,
| lighted by gas, and kept as clean as pos
sible. Notwithstanding that every effort
is made to keep these places wen ven
| tilated, in the summer the heat is intoler-
| able.-&ew York World.